, 1887-01-18
TEXAS PANHANDLE.
A GLIMPSE OF SOME OF IFS SOCIAL
INSTITUTIONS.

INSTITUTIONS.
A Population Over which the state and
Nation Have Practically No CiyiI or
Criminal JurisdIction-Everybody His
Own Lawyer.
II the truth were known, the Pan
handle OF Texas would be voted the politi
cal, social and material curiosity of this
country. There is nothing like it in this
country or any other country. 1t Is
strictly original, stands out by itself and
freezes on TO its peculiarities with a stead
fastness characteristic Of America in gen
eral and Texas in particular.
The Panhandle covers a territory about
rs large as the state OF New York. 1t ex-
tends from the Indian territory on the
north. almost to the Texas q Pacific rail
road, on the south, and from New Mexico
on the west, almost to the Fort Worth i
Denver railroad on the east. II Is larger
than many European countries hat sing
loud in an international chorus. Within
its confines are mountains and forests,
lakes and streams, valleys and rivers, iron
mines, copper mines, silver mines, coal
mines that are known Of, and perhaps
much more mineral wealth that is not
know Of, hamlets, ranches, caves, mesas,
mineral springs, steep p%recipices, shady
groves and many verdant plains.
The Panhandle is divided into nifty
three counties, II not more than six or
seven Of them are organized. The people
OF the Panhandle a n very supreme
contempt for law, and hav not much
more use for "A sheriff or an attorney than
they have for u grass burner or q cattle
thief. When the word claw Is used, IL
shonld be remembered that 1t applies to
the enactments of what the Panhandle
folks contemptuously term the "Austin
law factory There is an unwritten code
In the Panhandle, and woe to the man
who violates il. A man must not steal
cattle in the Panhandle; neither must he
cut fences, burn grass, fill up wells with
earth, break dams or kill IA man In cold
blood. There are less thar 100 women in
the Panhandle, and they are all good
women. There are no jails In the region,
fines are looked upon with contempt, and
the only punishment awarded to those
who violate the code of the region is death
or expulsion. II n man kills another in u
fight he has toanswer before no law court;
his right to kill n man In a fair fight Is
not questioned.
JuDGL LYScH's JUSTICE.
~ "a iAAA III atiRhb'A ~ hhb
f.. II he steals up behind him and plunges
u knife in his bach or shoots him
Judge Lynch Immediately takes hold VI
the offender. administers rigid justice
devoid of technicalitics or bubbles or
stays OF proceeding, and II the murder was
cold -blooded and cownrdly the murderer Is
more certain OF being hanged than he
would be In st. Louis, Chicago, New York,
San Francisco, New Orleans or Galveston
II Il man Is convicted OF cattle stealing
before Judge Lynch he is certain of being
hanged. II IA man is caught cutting Is
fence or setting fire to grass he Is shot
DOWN without hesitation, or II subsequently
urraigned before Judge Lynch and 1t Is
shown on testimony, direct or circumstan-
tial lint he was guilty Of the otfcnse, lie
will he hanged. This is about all the caro-
thet awe in the Panhandle. a man must
take care OF himself. He must fslit his
own battles. II he is not able 10 fight. II
lac l.. afraid 10 fight, II he has any prejudice
= -Sninst lighting, he had better seek some
~ location than the Panhandle Of
TeN for an abiding place. In fact, the
panhN Ile might he described rs one vast
region dNoid Of law, defying law, getting
along corNrtably without law
OF course ne great majority of the Pan
handle people t~c not addicted TO reminis.
cencc The nun ;yho receives mail matter
from IL former hon7S Ia another state ia a
rarity But, Of cousso, there uro cXcep-
tions. No doubt mass Panhandle men
could prove that they agc wearing The
same name now that they ipheritcd from
their parents. But 1t IL not considered
rood taste in the Panhandle 10 be too in
quisitive, md the man who persists in
delying into the affairs OF another ;uun is
almost certain to ave q fight On his
hands without unnecessary delay.
Thu people are social, hospitablc and
generous. The ethical code OF the region
forbids any inquiry concerning a stranger.
II the new arrival wants II job at wire
punching or line riding II Is taken for
granted TINT it is his intention Ia become
II permanent resident; II he loafs around
without attempting to secure "A job at any-
thing he becomes an object OF suspicion.
Detectives sometimes have the hardihood
to penetrate the Panhandle, but II they
should be suspected they are invariably
treated to hospitablc graves. Detectives
and law officers are not wanted and will
not be tolerated In the Panhandle. The
permanent sojournera in the region make
no prctensc Of denying that they are there
because OF n disagreement with the rules
OF action prescribed by law in the regions
whence they canc 1t is II republic OF toll
Grafton, and mind your own business is
the constitutional Globe Democrat.